Saving each other
by Skovko
Summary: Seth hides in his new apartment, hearing through the wall how the woman next door gets beaten by her boyfriend. He watches her through the darkness, thinking she doesn't notice him, but tonight she suddenly speaks to him. She's known all along he's there, and she knows who he is too. Both of them are struggling with their lives, but maybe they can save each other.
1. Watching the city

Seth sighed and looked at the wall. He had heard it many times before. Way too many to count. The shouting of anger from him, the screams of pain from her, and the beatings. The gruesome beatings that he couldn't help but picture inside his mind.

He should help her. It would be the right thing to do. Just storm in there and beat the shit out of her boyfriend. He would be able to. He had seen them both many times. The man didn't have shit on Seth. But he stayed inside his own walls, listening, hurting in silence alongside with her.

"No, please," her voice was breaking.

Her cries got lower, and it was Seth's cue to walk out on his balcony. He stayed inside for the beatings, but her cries getting lower meant her being moved into the bedroom further away from their shared wall, but he could still hear her cry for a while. And then silence. Always silence when her boyfriend finished whatever he did to her in the bedroom.

He left his apartment in darkness, and sat outside in the warm night, looking out at the city. He counted the seconds in his head. Seconds that turned to minutes. Waiting. He was always waiting. And then the door to their balcony opened, and she came out.

She was in a pair of blue panties and a black tank top. Sleeping clothes. Or maybe whatever had been nearest when she left the bedroom after her boyfriend was done. Her hair was a mess. It was always a mess on nights like this after having fought against her boyfriend.

He watched her through the darkness. He always did that. He never told her he was there. He felt like a creep, but to be fair, he was always out there before her. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to tell her everything was gonna be alright. He just didn't know how. Instead he watched her, and he had been doing so ever since he moved in seven weeks ago.

She was beautiful to him. The regular girl next door with straight, light brown hair and cornflower blue eyes that always seemed so sad. And he understood that. She lived with an abusive asshole, so of course she was sad. She never wore makeup, and she hid away in baggy clothes and flat sneakers. And still he could never take his eyes off of her.

"How's the city tonight, Batman?" She asked.

He looked at her leaning over the railing. She turned her head and stared directly at him through the darkness.

"It's kind of creepy how you're always out here watching me. I thought if I gave you enough time, you'd actually start talking to me," she said.  
"I... Ehm... The city is good," he said.  
"Yeah? No bad guys out there that you need to take down?" She asked.  
"I'm living next to one," he answered.

She sighed and turned her focus back to the city below them. It had been a bold move to be this forward, but he wanted to talk to her. He needed to talk to her. He was so damn alone all the time, and he had dreamed about her dark, sensual voice aiming at him. He got up from his chair and walked over to the wall that separated their balconies.

"Why do you stay with him?" He asked.  
"Still waiting for Batman to come save me," she half joked.  
"I don't think I can save anybody," he said.  
"So you need your own Batman?" She asked.  
"How about Batgirl? I'd prefer someone female to come around," he said.

He sent her a wide grin through the darkness, and she actually grinned back. She stepped up to the wall too, and he could see the bruises on her bare arms. She was so close, and he couldn't help himself. He hadn't touched anyone for so long. He reached over and ran a finger around her bruises on her left arm, following the patterns of the marks her boyfriend left.

"Why do you put up with this?" He asked.  
"Why do you care?" She asked.  
"I can hear you through the wall. I hear everything he does to you. I hear you cry and scream. I hear him beat you. I hear him drag you to the bedroom and..." He said.  
"I know who you are," she cut him off.

He pulled his hand back and looked up in her eyes. Of course she knew. Most of the world knew who he was.

"Seth Rollins," she said.  
"I can't run from that," he said.  
"What happened to you? One day you were on tv, next day you were gone. They said you were out on an injury, but you moved in here the very next day, and I've seen you run up and down those stairs, so it's not your knee again," she said.

He was surprised she'd actually noticed him. He barely went out. He went out with his trash, out to empty his mailbox, and out to do some much needed shopping, but that was it. And he always ran to get back inside fast.

"Something happened," he said.  
"What?" She asked.  
"It's nothing," he sighed.  
"It's only fair you tell me your secret when you know mine," she said.  
"I have anxiety," he said. "I was always an introvert, but two months ago I was attacked in my home, and it kickstarted my anxiety. The company has given me time off to heal, and I moved here because I'm scared to go back home. They were three fans, and they figured out where I lived. Who else knows where I live?"  
"So you ran and hid? Why would they attack you if they were your fans?" She asked.  
"I didn't say they were my fans," he said. "Some of those fans that can't tell wrestling is scripted, and they were on Dean's side. They thought they were getting revenge for him."  
"That's fucked up," she said.  
"Tell me about it," he said.

She reached over and gently caressed his cheek. Her fingers on his beard felt so good. He closed his eyes and hummed lowly, not even ashamed of letting her see him so vulnerable.

"It's not fair that you know my name when I don't know yours," he said.  
"I'm sure you've seen it on our mailbox," she said.  
"I have," he confessed with a boyish smile. "Celina Waters."

He kept his eyes closed, and leaned his face into her touch. Her hand was so soft, and everything he needed on this dark night. Everything he had craved to feel for so long.

"Goodnight, Batman," she said.

Her hand left his face, and he opened his eyes slowly. Too slow. She was already inside, closing the balcony door after her. It wasn't until that moment he realized that she had turned the entire conversation around to be about him, so that he wouldn't drill further into everything going on inside her apartment.


	2. Making a deal

Seth placed his hand on the wall and listened. It had been five days since she had talked to him on the balcony. He had seen her a couple of times since then, and she had given him a little, secret smile both times that her boyfriend hadn't caught. And he had given her a smile back both times.

Now five days later all hell broke loose again on the other side of the wall. He stood as close as he could, wanting to break through the wall and rip her out of the violent hands. Just hold her close all night and comfort her.

"I'm sorry!" She cried. "I didn't mean to break it!"

Her apologies never helped. He knew that, and she sure as hell knew that too. Her cries got lower, and he stepped away from the wall, and walked out on the balcony. He couldn't stand hearing her in the bedroom. That was the one thing he didn't stay inside for anymore. It was too painful to picture that inside his head.

He sat in his chair, counting the seconds, watching the city again. Around ten minutes later she opened the door to the balcony and stepped out. Once again she was in very little clothes. A pair of black panties and a purple tank top.

"Waiting for me again, Batman?" She asked.  
"I missed my Batgirl," he said.

She walked over to the wall. He got up from his chair, and walked over to it too.

"How's the city tonight?" She asked.  
"I don't care about the city," he answered.

He reached a hand forward and stroked her cheek like she had done to him five days earlier.

"I care about you," he said.  
"Help me over," she said.  
"What?" He chuckled.

She grabbed his hand, and placed her foot up on the wall. He reached both hands over, helping her up on the wall and over to his balcony.

"Why do you always sit in the dark?" She asked.  
"I don't like people seeing me," he answered.  
"I saw you," she said. "Everytime."

She walked into his apartment, and turned on the light. He followed behind, and forgot how to breathe for a second. It was one thing to see her in that little clothes through the darkness. Now she was in his apartment with the lights on, and she had just gone from beautiful to sexy. If only those damn bruises weren't there to ruin her beauty.

"It's not that I don't appreciate a beautiful woman in underwear, but what will he think?" He pointed at their shared wall.  
"Don't worry about him. He's asleep," she said.  
"Are you sure?" He asked.  
"Yeah, he's always out like a light after sex," she answered.  
"Sex!" He growled lowly. "It doesn't sound like sex to me."  
"Do you have something to drink?" She asked.

She went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and helped herself to an orange soda. He knew it was her once again getting the attention away from her and onto him. She jumped up to sit on the counter, opened the soda, and took a big swig out of it.

"So what happened to them?" She asked.  
"Who?" He asked.  
"Those men that attacked you," she answered.  
"Oh," he said.

He jumped up to sit next to her, grabbed the soda, and took a big swig too before handing it back to her.

"They got arrested. Luckily my neighbor saw three men run up my driveway with a baseballbat, so he called the cops," he said.  
"A baseballbat? What the fuck? They beat you with that?" She asked shocked.  
"Yeah, my legs and my back. At least they didn't take a swing at my head with it. It didn't go free of fists though," he said.  
"That pretty face," she placed a hand on his cheek. "Fangirls all over the world would have cried if it had been broken."

He laughed at that. She downed more of the soda before handing it to him to finish. It felt good sitting on the counter, sharing a soda. Good and innocent despite her being in underwear.

"So what did you break?" He asked.  
"Huh?" She asked.  
"I can hear you through the wall. I heard you say something about not meaning to break something," he said.  
"Oh, that was the wing mirror of the car. Someone broke it while I was inside the supermarket. It doesn't matter to him that the car was in the parking lot, and I was nowhere near it. I had his car, so therefore I broke it," she said.  
"That's not right," he said.  
"It is what it is," she jumped off the counter. "I better get back in."  
"You can use the front door," he said.  
"No, the one thing that always wakes him up is our loud, creaking front door," she said.

They walked back out on his balcony, and he helped her back over the wall to the other side.

"Goodnight, Batman," she said.

She turned to walk back inside, but he held on to her hand, and pulled her back.

"Leave him," he said. "Before he kills you."  
"Don't me so dramatic," she said.  
"Don't play this down. You know how bad it has escalated since the first time he laid his hands on you. Do you even love him anymore?" He asked.

She didn't give him an answer for a few seconds.

"I think a part of me still hopes to see the man he used to be," she finally said.  
"He's long gone," he said.  
"I don't think he ever existed. He was an illusion that he wanted me to buy into," she said.  
"Leave him," he said again.  
"I'll make you a deal," she said. "You get your shit together. Move back to your house, and get back on tv. You do that, and I'll leave him."  
"Deal," he said.

He leaned over, and placed his lips on hers. He hadn't meant to kiss her, but he felt so connected to her in that moment. She held on to his hand while kissing him back. He placed his other hand behind her neck, running his fingers through her hair before breaking the kiss.

"Goodnight, Batgirl," he smirked.  
"Yeah, it was good," she croaked and giggled. "I mean, goodnight, Batman. Seth! Or Batman! Whatever you prefer. Goodnight."

He couldn't help but smile widely at how flustered she became over one single kiss. He watched her hurry inside and close the balcony door. She turned around, placed her hand on the glass door, and looked at him. Her eyes burned into his before she turned around again and disappeared out of sight.


	3. Soft hands

Seth took a deep breath as he stepped inside his house. He had just spent 30 minutes in his car convincing himself to go inside. Now that he had finally taken the step, it didn't seem so bad. Daylight made it more easy. It was night time that would put up a bigger fight.

He walked into the living room that still held traces from the fight. He hadn't been back since that night. As soon as the police had arrested the three men, he had called his mother while sobbing, and she had picked him up right away. He had spent a week in her home until he found the apartment and moved there.

He went to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Then he found his favorite Parkway Drive album and turned up the volume. With freshly brewed coffee and some good music playing, he started cleaning his house. He started with the living room, erasing all the traces from the fight, before cleaning the rest of the house. It took hours, and he was tired afterwards, but he had gotten it done. It looked like a home again. And not just any home. His home. Suddenly he couldn't understand why he had been so afraid to come back here. He suddenly felt a rush of courage come over him, and he took out his phone before he lost that courage.

"Hunter? It's Seth," he said. "I think I'm ready to come back soon. Well, not this week of course, but soon. I'm in my house again for the first time, and it feels good. It feels right."

He drove back to the apartment, showered and changed. He waited with his front door open. He knew when she came home from work. Most days he would watch her walk past his door through the peephole. This time the door was wide open. He was done watching her from afar like a creep.

"Batgirl!" He yelled happily when she came into sight.

She jumped and placed her hand over her chest.

"Holy fuck, Seth, you scared me," she looked inside. "What's this? The door is open, and you're smiling. No, don't say it. Let me guess. You got laid."  
"Since I kissed you last night?" He laughed. "Only in my dreams."  
"You have wet dreams?" She grinned.  
"Like everyone else, but lately they've become really good," he winked. "I wanna show you something. Do you have time? It's Friday, so he doesn't come home until late, right?"  
"How long have you been creeping on me?" She placed her arms in her sides.  
"I know the routines of all the neighbors. I had to with the anxiety. I was trying to avoid everyone," he said.

He looked down, and she walked over to him. She placed her hands on his cheeks, and lifted up his head.

"What do you wanna show me?" She asked.  
"How much time have you got?" He asked.  
"All night," she answered.  
"Let's take a ride then," he said.

He was surprised that she just trusted him like that. He drove them both to his house, grabbed a bag from the trunk, and let them both inside.

"Casa del Rollins," he said.  
"This is your house?" She asked. "Nice!"  
"I spent all day here cleaning to make it look like a home again. I wanted to show it to you, so you can see that I honor our deal," he said.  
"What's in the bag?" She asked.  
"Groceries," he answered.

He walked to the kitchen, put the bag on the counter, and started taking out stuff.

"The first meal I ever cooked here was spinach waffles. I didn't have time to go grocery shopping that day, so I went with what I already had. I ate spinach waffles with cream cheese that night. I was hoping you would let me make that for you," he said.  
"I'm hungry," she sat down with a smile. "Feed me, Batman."

An hour later they were through the easy meal. The sun had set, but he wasn't scared by the darkness. Not with her in the house as well.

"So when are you officially moving back in?" She asked.  
"I don't know. I want to this weekend," he answered.  
"But?" She asked.  
"But what about you?" He asked.  
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she said.  
"I do worry, and you won't be fine. We had a deal. It's your turn to leave him. Once you're out, I'll move back here," he said.  
"No, the deal was for you to move back here and go back to work before I leave him," she said.  
"You're trying to get out of it. I won't let you," he said.

She stood up and walked over to the counter, putting her hands on it while looking out the kitchen window. He stood up too and walked over to stand behind her. He boxed her in with his hands on the countertop, feeling her back against his chest.

"Why did you kiss me last night?" She asked.  
"Because I wanted to," he answered. "I've been wanting to ever since I first laid eyes on you. I saw you before I heard you. For the first three days all I could think was that he was one lucky son of a bitch. And then he snapped one night, and he went from lucky to just being a son of a bitch in my book."  
"What do you want, Seth?" She asked.

He moved her hair out of the way, leaned down, and kissed her neck. She gripped the countertop, and let out a soft moan as his soft lips moved over her skin.

"I want you. However little you're willing to give me," he said. "But what do you want, Celina?"  
"I want you to touch me," she reached a hand behind to grab his head. "I want your soft hands on my body. Show me that a man's hands can be so much more that scary. That they can bring other things than pain."

It broke his heart to hear her say that, but he was gonna give her exactly what she wanted. He spun her around and kissed her, lifting her up in the process. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, and allowed him to carry her wherever he wanted.

He laid her down on the bed, his lips never leaving hers. He took his time getting her out of her clothes, one piece at the time while his hands explored her body. He ignored her bruises and concentrated on making her feel his hands and lips on every place of her body. Like a man worshipping a goddess.

He didn't know how long he had been at it like that. Kissing and touching, nothing else. Way longer than he had ever done with another woman. She started whimpering and tugging on his tee. He pulled it over his head and watched her as her fingers traced his chest and stomach, and finally landed on his jeans. She opened his belt and jeans, and looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Please," she whispered.  
"You don't ever have to beg around me," he said.

He got out of his clothes, and settled on top of her. He was so afraid of breaking her in any way that he moved way more slow than usual as he pushed into her and started thrusting. Her hands ran down his back, her nails digging lightly into his skin to tell him it was okay. He sped up, finding a more normal pace, letting his lips wander over her neck and collarbone while he kept one hand in her hair, and the other hand ran down her body to grab her thigh and pull her leg up.

"Seth, please," she moaned.

This 'please' sounded different. It meant something else. He smiled as he raised his head, picking up the pace once again, squeezing her thigh, watching her fall apart right in front of him. Her walls squeezed him tight, and he let go too. Her moaning died down, and his thrusts became lazy and slow for a few seconds, and then he stopped. He grinned at her, and she started grinning too.

"How was that?" He asked.  
"Amazing," she answered.  
"I agree," he said.

He rolled down next to her, pulled her into his arms, took in the cherry scent from her hair, and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"You make everything seem so easy," he said. "Like I can face the world like I used to."


	4. Standing his ground

Seth smiled as he felt the morning sun warm his face through the window. He had forgotten all about the curtains the night before. All his focus had been on Celina. He stretched and felt the cold sheets next to him. He opened his eyes and sat up.

"Celina?" He called.

Her clothes was gone from the floor. He put on his boxers, and started searching his house.

"Batgirl?" He called. "Are you still here?"

He knew she was gone before he found the note in the kitchen. It was placed on the countertop with his phone on top of it, so it wouldn't accidently fall to the ground and be left unseen. He picked it up and read it.

_"Sorry, had to run. Have a nice day."_

He sighed first, and then crumpled it in anger. Have a nice day. That was really all she had to say. Like them sleeping together hadn't meant anything. Like he hadn't meant anything. He walked back to the bedroom, got dressed, and drove back to the apartment. No way was he gonna accept it.

He almost ran into her boyfriend as he turned the corner to get to his apartment. That tall, slim fucker with the skinny arms. How could someone like that ever hit anything without breaking their own bones? He would never know. All he knew was that he wanted to break the man in half.

"Watch where you're going!" The man growled.  
"Or what?" Seth stopped and stared him down.

The short stare down only lasted for a second or two before the man turned his eyes down and started walking away.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Seth mocked. "Not so fucking tough against another man, but women you have no problem hitting. You son of a bitch!"

He actually wanted the man to stop and hit him. It would give him a reason to hit back. The man didn't though. Like a coward he rounded the corner and disappeared out of Seth's sight. Seth turned around and walked straight to their apartment. He banged on the door until she opened.

"What?" She asked.

He wanted to push his way inside, but he forced himself to stay on the spot. He didn't wanna scare her in any way.

"Why did you leave?" He asked.  
"I had to get home before he did," she answered.  
"You're supposed to leave him," he said.  
"And go where exactly?" She asked. "Will you take me?"  
"I... Ehm... I... Your mom?" He asked.

She had put him on the spot, and he had no idea what to answer. In his mind it had all seemed so simple. She would leave him and go somewhere else. He had never stopped and thought about that somewhere else might not exist for her.

"My mom lives in Norway," she said. "She met a man online, uprooted her entire life, and moved there."  
"Your father?" He asked.  
"Never met him," she answered. "And I don't have any siblings either."  
"Your friends?" He asked.  
"If I had any left," she shrugged. "He made me cut them out of my life one by one. I thought you knew how an abuser works. You've been so sure about everything up until now."  
"I... I..." He stuttered.

He had no idea what to say. Everything seemed to fall apart around him. All his plans. Suddenly he wanted to crawl back inside his apartment and avoid everyone. His breathing took up, and he started hyperventilating. He felt her hands on his cheeks, and she forced him to look at her.

"Hey, hey! Seth! Look at me!" She spoke calmly. "Breathe!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to breathe normally.

"That's it," she smiled. "Breathe, Batman. You can't save the city if you drop dead."

Tears filled his eyes. He felt so lost and pathetic. In his eyes she had it way worse than him, yet she was the one calming him down and trying to make his life better. He couldn't hold the tears within. He let them run down his cheeks and over her fingers.

"Easy, Seth. Everything is alright," she said.  
"How can you say that?" He asked.  
"Look, I'm not sorry last night happened. It was amazing, and I don't regret it. Not one bit," she said.  
"But?" He asked.  
"But nothing really," she answered. "I had to get home before he did. And you slept so peacefully. I helped you see that your home isn't scary. And I also noticed the alarm system you got going there, mister. You're safe."  
"Yeah, mom had someone install it the next day. She thought I'd move back," he smiled through his tears.  
"And you will," she smiled back. "Go inside and pack your things. Get out of this place. Move back home, go back to work, and start living again."

She dried his cheeks and eyes. Her smile stayed on her face, but it seemed hollow and unreal.

"What about you? When will you start living again?" He asked.  
"This isn't about me. It's about you," she answered. "Goodbye, Batman."

She turned around, and stepped back inside her apartment.

"No!" He said.  
"Seth," she sighed.  
"I said no!" He stood his ground. "We made a deal. I'm not leaving this place until you do."  
"Then you'll be here for a long time," she closed the door.


	5. Batman always beats the Joker

He waited for her to leave for work around 2.30 PM. Saturdays meant her starting her shift at the supermarket at 3 PM and staying there until closing hours. He picked up his packed bag, took a deep breath, and went out in his car.

He walked into the gym and forced himself to continue forward. It was packed as expected on a Saturday afternoon. Since he was attacked, he only worked out at night when no one was there. And most nights he would just take a run, so he wouldn't be around others.

"Are you lost, handsome?" The girl behind the counter grinned. "You're in way early."  
"So are you," he said.  
"Swapped tonight with Warrick so I can go to my sister's birthday. Do you wanna come? It says +1 on the invitation," she said.  
"Are you asking me out on a date?" He asked surprised.  
"I guess so," she shrugged. "So what do you say?"  
"I'm not single," he said.

The words left his mouth before he even thought about them. He was single. It was a stupid lie. But in the moment he said those words, he pictured himself and Celina together as a couple.

"Oh," she blushed. "How silly of me. Of course you're not. Someone as handsome as you won't be left alone for long. Forgive me for asking."  
"Don't worry about it," he said.

He walked into the locker room with a smile on his face. He still had game, and he hadn't even been trying. It gave him a boost of self confidence. He changed into his workout gear, and faced the packed gym head on. He had to get out of his own mind and start living again, just like Celina had said. And she was right. Just like he was right about her.

After an hour of workout, he took a quick shower, and changed back to his normal clothes. He threw the bag in his trunk, and drove to the supermarket she was working at. Normally he would keep his head down and hurry through, but he took his time as he walked around for groceries. He finally made it to the cash register where she was standing.

"You've gone from creeping to stalking," she said.  
"I had to up my game," he said.  
"Spinach waffles again?" She looked at his groceries.  
"You never go wrong with spinach waffles," he said. "And that's not all I bought."  
"I can see that," she held up the ice cream. "Mango? How exotic."  
"I was hoping you'd share it with me after work," he said.  
"I can't," she said. "Nate."

His mind ran that name through. He had seen it before. The mailbox next to her name. Nate Spears. He had always paid more attention to her name.

"I wasn't planning on sharing with him," he said jokingly.  
"Seth," she sighed.

He looked around, but no one was around to see them. He grabbed her work shirt, and gently pulled her towards him, so he could kiss her. Just a soft, short kiss.

"Like I said last night, you make everything seem so easy. Look at me. I've been to the gym at this hour for the first time in two months. That's because of you. I wanna be my old self again because of you," he said.  
"That's good. I'm happy for you," she said.  
"I want you to leave him," he said.  
"We've already had this conversation once today," she said.  
"No, not like this," he said. "I wanna be with you."  
"You don't know me," she said.  
"I don't care," he said.

He leaned in for another kiss, but she took a step back.

"He works here too," she said.  
"What? Here? At this supermarket?" He asked.  
"He's actually my boss, so if I leave him, he'll make it hell on earth for me," she said.  
"God damn it!" He muttered.  
"Yeah, your plans never work," she said. "Better luck next time, Batman."

An old lady with a shopping cart came up to the cash register. Seth grabbed his bag of groceries and looked at Celina.

"Batman always beats the Joker," he said.  
"Excuse me, dear?" The old lady asked.  
"Remember that, Celina," he pointed at her as he walked backwards. "He always wins. I'll see you at home."

He walked out of the supermarket, and the old lady looked at Celina.

"What a nice, young man. Is he your boyfriend, dear?" She asked.  
"No, just my neighbor," Celina answered.  
"What a handsome neighbor," the lady said. "You should invite him in for coffee. It seemed like he likes you. I always catch on to those things."

Celina chuckled lowly and shook her head. If the old lady only knew what had gone down between her and Seth the night before.

"Maybe I will," she said.

It was dark outside when she returned home from work that night. Nate had sent her a text that he was out with his friends. She walked out on the balcony, not surprised to find Seth out on his own. He was half way through the mango ice cream.

"Is it any good?" She asked.  
"See for yourself," he answered.

He handed her a clean spoon, and she laughed lowly.

"You were expecting me?" She asked.  
"Of course," he answered.  
"You're so full of yourself," she said.

She dug the spoon down in the ice cream, scooped up a spoonful, and started eating it.

"That is heaven on earth," she said.  
"You look cute right now," he said.  
"What do you mean?" She asked.  
"Standing in the moonlight, eating ice cream. You look carefree," he said. "And cute."

She licked the spoon clean, and handed it back to him.

"What? Only a spoonful?" He asked.  
"I'm tired," she said. "Goodnight, Batman."  
"Don't run from me," he said.  
"I'm not," she said.  
"Yes, you are," he said.  
"I'm not," she repeated. "I'm walking inside and going to bed."  
"You're still walking away from me," he said.  
"Yes, I am," she said.

He watched her walk inside. She closed the balcony door without ever looking back at him. His heart hurt again. He walked inside his apartment, threw the ice cream in the sink, and grabbed his phone. He had to call Hunter again.


	6. Better than him

Celina avoided Seth. She actually avoided him. She would hurry past his door when she left her apartment, and she wouldn't come out on the balcony at night. He gave her Sunday in peace. Her only day off work. Unfortunately also Nate's day off. At least they were quiet on the other side of the wall.

He tried going to the supermarket Monday. Unfortunately he ended up in what seemed like rush hour. The place was packed, and it was impossible to get a word in with her at the cash register. He couldn't hold up the line. Instead he went home with a 6-pack of orange sodas. At least he knew she liked those.

He went back Tuesday. This time he aimed at the early morning hours. He left his home 15 minutes after her and Nate left. There weren't many people at the supermarket when he arrived. He casually wandered around, waiting for the few people in line by the cash register to disappear.

Once it was clear, he walked up with a pack of gum. He didn't know what else to do. All he knew was that he needed to make it look like he was actually buying something because Nate was standing near by stocking up shelves. He took a look over his shoulder to make sure Nate wasn't watching them.

"I need to talk to you," he said lowly. "It's important."  
"Not here, you don't," she said lowly before raising her voice. "Have a nice day, sir."

He looked over his shoulder at Nate again, and the son of a bitch was watching them. Seth grabbed his pack of gum and walked out.

"That's our neighbor," Nate said.  
"Oh yeah? I thought he looked familiar," she said.  
"He knows things," he said.  
"Like what?" She asked.  
"I ran into him Saturday morning," he said. "We'll talk about it tonight at home."

She swallowed hard. She knew that tone and that look. Nate was on to them somehow. The hours went by way too fast for her liking, and soon she found herself back home with him.

"So Seth let it slide that morning that he knows I tend to get angry with you," he said.  
"Thin walls," she pointed out.  
"That's what I thought too, but something didn't feel right, so I started looking through our security cameras, and guess what I found," he said.  
"What?" She asked nervously.  
"You kissing him Saturday afternoon. In the middle of work where everyone could see," he said. "And that makes me very angry."

Seth jumped up from his couch when he heard the shouting followed by a bump. Something went into the wall hard, and he didn't have to ask what, or rather who, it was.

"Please!" She cried.  
"You hear that, Seth!" Nate pounded on the wall. "She fucking begs for me, you asshole! She'll never be yours!"

That son of a bitch was taunting Seth now, but Seth wouldn't have it. The sound of her being hit, and the sound of her crying, made Seth fly out of his front door. Of course their front door was locked, and no one opened no matter how much he pounded on it.

"Open up, you son of a bitch!" He screamed.

Nothing happened other than the usual sounds that he had listened to on many dark nights. He ran back inside his apartment, leaving his front door open. He ran out on the balcony, and jumped the wall between their balconies. He looked through the glass to see Celina on the floor with Nate on top of her. His fists went down on her chest and arms repeatedly.

"You're a fucking dead man!" He growled.

He looked around quickly, and grabbed one of their outdoor chairs. Iron, not plastic. He had to thank her later for buying these sort of furniture. He took aim and threw the chair into the glass door. The glass splintered, and Nate looked up surprised. Seth kicked more of the shards out, stuck his hand through, unlocked the door, and opened it.

"You son of a bitch!" He screamed.  
"No, wait!" Nate stood up with his hands raised. "We can talk about this."

Seth clenched his fists, and walked towards Nate. A hand wrapped around his ankle, and he looked down to see Celina holding him back.

"No, Seth," she pleaded.  
"I'm putting an end to this, Celina," he said.  
"No, please," she pleaded. "If you do this, you're no better than him. And you were always better than him, Seth."

Her words made sense. He wanted badly to ignore them, and just put Nate out of his misery, but he knew that if he crossed that line now, she would never be with him. She would see him as another violent man. Instead he grabbed Nate's shirt and pulled him close.

"Run, you son of a bitch!" He pushed him away. "Run! I'm coming after you in two minutes, and if I catch you, you're fucking dead!"

Nate ran out of the apartment as fast as he could. Seth crouched down, and pulled Celina up in his arms.

"Come here," he helped her up. "Let me see you. Are you alright? Can you walk?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said.

He helped her out of her apartment and into his. She sat down on the couch and winched in pain.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," he said.  
"Seth," she reached for him.  
"I'm not going after him. I promise," he said.

He went to his bedroom and grabbed his two big suitcases. He went back to their apartment, opened all the closets, and pulled out all the clothes that looked like it belonged to a woman. He managed to get it all in the suitcases, and walked back to his own apartment.

"What are you doing?" She asked.  
"What else have you got? Shoes, right?" He asked.  
"My perfume in the bathroom. My mom sent it for my birthday. I really like it. And the green toothbrush is mine," she said.  
"On it," he said.

He grabbed a backpack, walked back to her apartment, and filled it with the three pairs of sneakers she owned, the perfume and her toothbrush. He also grabbed the hairbrush he assumed was hers. He walked back into his apartment where she had made it out in the kitchen and helped herself to an orange soda.

"You really like those, huh?" He chuckled.  
"My favorite," she shrugged. "Seriously, what are you doing?"  
"We had a deal. I move back home and go back to work, and you leave him. We're doing it all in one take," he said.  
"And where am I gonna go?" She asked.  
"You asked if I would take you," he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I will."  
"I feel like a lost kitten being adopted from a shelter," she said.  
"Maybe you are," he laughed. "My kitten."  
"I thought I was your Batgirl," she said.

He leaned in and kissed her. It had only been a few days, but he had missed those lips badly.

"But..." She started.  
"No but. I got it all figured out," he said.  
"Of course. You're the architect," she said.  
"Exactly," he said.  
"I was joking," she said.  
"I wasn't," he smirked. "I called Hunter. I gotta get back in the ring, but I'm still scared. I asked if I could bring you as my manager first to ease me back into the roll. Once I'm comfortable, I'll turn on you and do my own thing again, and you'll get another role in the company."

She stared at him as if he had grown two heads.

"Manager? Are you shitting me right now?" She asked.  
"I would never do that to you. I'm giving you a way out. You don't have to be with me if you don't want to, but you can live with me in my house, and I got you a new job, so you're completely free of him," he said. "So what do you say?"

He ran his fingers through her hair, watching her think about his offer.

"What about the city, Batman?" She cracked a smile.  
"The city can start saving itself. I only wanna save you," he smiled back. "Besides, we both know I suck at saving the city."  
"Yeah, you do," she laughed.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

"Now what?" She whispered.  
"Now we pack my shit and drive home," he said.  
"I like that plan," she said.  
"Me too. And..." He moved his hands under her top to feel her back. "I'm gonna touch you all night. Just lie there with you in my arms. Kissing you, touching you, feeling your skin under my fingers."  
"I'd like that," her eyes got wet. "I like your hands. They're soft, and they don't hurt me."  
"Never, Batgirl," he promised.


End file.
